


Loyal

by Lunar_Cycle139



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 03:43:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19040446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunar_Cycle139/pseuds/Lunar_Cycle139
Summary: Gregory Goyle reflects on life and  his mistakes, a little snap shot of the day that would forever change his life.





	Loyal

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter, the characters and universe belong to J.K. Rowling.  
> This story is set the September after the battle of Hogwarts when the students and teachers are trying to start over after the aftermath of the war.

Another failure to add to his pile of mistakes, Goyle thought glumly as he sat subdued off to the side in the Great Hall with the other Slytherins who fought on the losing side of the final battle. Coming back to Hogwarts the September that had followed the war had been a difficult decision, but Goyle figured he had nowhere else to go and he felt like he needed to finish his education and not add Hogwarts dropout to his list of failures. It might have worked out for the Chosen One, and his Weaslebee side kick but, it would not be the same for a Deatheater’s son. All Goyle had ever wanted to be was someone his mother would have been proud of. Losing his mom at age 6 he always hoped Heaven was far enough away that she didn’t see every mistake he made. He was never an O student or E for that matter, he was pretty sure his NEWTs if he ever got to take them would be straight Trolls. It didn’t matter how hard he studied he just never could grasp the material. His Pops had never cared much about his education and he had never hired him a proper school tutor. Everything Goyle did know he had to figure out on his own including learning to read and write and even that he was subpar at best.  
Goyle had his strengths, he was built big and stalky just like his Pops. He joined the Quidditch team as a beater because it was what his Pops had wanted. In hindsight he wished he hadn’t done everything his Pops told him to do. Joining the Deatheaters had been a mistake, unmarked or not he was still one of them and he had been proud of it, the Dark Arts had been something he had been good at. Thinking back on it he was ashamed of the things he had done under their tutelage and shivered. He was not a good person. He supposed he never really would be but, he wanted to be better. After almost dying in the room of requirement he had decided right then and there that it was time to turn over a new leaf and turn his life around. Going back to Hogwarts had been hard for numerous reasons, one being the looming absent of his best friend, Vincent Crab had been one of the only people to truly understand him, they were two sides of the same coin and his biggest regret was not having been able to do something to stop Vincent from casting a curse that was beyond his experience and control. He liked to think that had he survived he would have went the redemption route with him, either way having him by his side would have made returning to Hogwarts easier.  
Although he was never charged as a Deatheater, he had still done horrible things and the Hogwarts students would not forgive him too easily. He was shunned along with the majority of Slytherin house, which was ridiculous because he might be guilty and deserving of it, but many of his classmates were not and he was sure as merlin that the Slytherin first years who were not even at the Hogwarts that year were blameless. He decided that that first week of classes had been a nightmare. He would not stand for it any more, he watched as a group of older Ravenclaw students heckled a young group of Slytherins walking into the Great Hall. Greg decided enough was enough and began to head over there to try and stop it. As he got closer he noticed another person had seemed to have his same line of thinking. He paused as he watched almost mesmerized by the pale blonde slip of a girl that marched forward like she was going into battle, straight up to the group of 5th year Ravenclaws who were heckling the 1st year Slytherins. The girl who usually wore a glazed expression on her face, looked angry she had her mouth pulled into a thin line and her eyes were alight with her fury. She had her hands clasped in fists at her side and she seemed to be visually shaking with anger, and when she spoke it came out cold, it was not the sweet melodic tones she normally used.  
He had watched her countless times brush off the hateful names and bullying she suffered from not just Slytherin House but the entire school, never to bat an eye at an insult, always smiling serenely at the perpetrators. If it had been Goyle himself people would have just assumed he was too stupid to understand the insult but, Luna Lovegood was a Ravenclaw. There was no doubt about it the girl was brilliant maybe even more so then Potter’s Mud – muggleborn, Goyle corrected himself internally. Goyle had never himself spoken to Luna Lovegood, but he had always noticed her, the girl who never quite fit in, the girl who chose to live life her own way, she was the year behind him at school and had gotten herself quite the reputation for being loopy and loony. She had been one of Potter’s friends that fought in the Department of Mysteries, the day his father had been outed as a Deatheater, and sent to Ascaban. His father had been dueling to kill that day, he shuddered to think if one of his spells had hit its mark, he imagined Luna Love good as still and as cold as her voice sounded now as she faced on the Ravenclaw Bullies.  
“Have you not learned from the events of the past year, did the death and destructions that occurred in theses halls and the students year long suffering mean nothing to you. We fought, and many died in these Halls so that the future generations of Hogwarts students” she gestured at the Slytherin first years, “could have a safe place to go to school. They shouldn’t have to fear being attacked going to breakfast. One of them Matthew Coroner he thought he remembered, his brother Michael had been in his year,  
“But Luna, they are Slytherins Deatheater spawn, they shouldn’t even be allowed to be here.” Matthew declared haughtily. His friends all nodding along with him.  
Luna turned her ice glare onto them, “Oh and you think you are the ones who ought to decide that for your selves now do you?” she asked angrily.  
“Well I” the boy stuttered, the Luna Lovegood sighed and threw her hands up in the air, it was almost comical life a kitten or a bunny in all their fury and Goyle had to stifle his laugh.  
Luna continued “There is always someone who thinks they get to decide who gets to belong, if you think you have the right to decide then how are you any better than the people you are heckling, no one deserves this treatment it does not matter who your parents are whether you are muggle born, pureblood, or just shall we say loony. It is not our abilities or our families who make us who we are but our choices, so let us act like students that those we lost at the battle of Hogwarts can be proud of.”  
At this point the Ravenclaws blanched looking thoroughly chastised and even a bit remorseful of their actions.  
Seeing that her words had impact she relaxed and was back to her smiling serene self, now off to dinner the lot of you, tonight there is pudding she said with a little grin.  
The Ravenclaws nodded respectfully to the young Ravenclaw war heroine and hurried off to their table, The first year Slytherins gave her tentative soft smiles of thanks which she returned warmly, before they too headed off to their table.  
To Goyles utter surprise she fixed her attention solely on him. She gave him a smile that nearly knocked him off his feet, “Would you care to accompany me to the Black Lake, there is a population of Wimblys on its banks and one of them has just given birth would you like to see?”  
Goyle nodded not quite trusting his words and followed her out of the Great Hall. Later he would realize it would not matter what type of strange creature Luna was interested in or adventure she chose to embark on, he would follow her anywhere she asked. It was Harry Potter and his friends who had rescued him in the room of requirement, but that day in the Great Hall was the day Luna Lovegood saved his life.


End file.
